Divine Sword Manor had been wiped out three years ago?
In the sweltering heat of early autumn, under the blazing sun, a chill crept into everyone's hearts, as though cold vipers were crawling up their spines.
A manor that had ceased to exist three years ago was now, three years later, hiring an escort agency to deliver a coffin straight to its doorstep. Hiss, what a horror story... Zhang Yuanqing looked around at his "family." The two Fire Specialists, Chen Wei and Zhao Youcai, had eyes wide with shock written plainly across their faces.
As for the Bewitching Demon, Zhuo Peiran, his brows stood on end, his face twisting into a ferocious scowl like a provoked beast lashing out in a savage stress response.
Even the composed, stern Chen Xuedao suddenly turned grave.
"Impossible!" Zhao Youcai shouted. "Divine Sword Manor is a renowned force in the martial world! If it was massacred three years ago, why didn't we hear a single whisper of it?"
Although the Yellow Banner Escort Agency had no dealings with Divine Sword Manor and was separated from it by great distance, escorts made their living traveling far and wide. Something of this magnitude couldn't have slipped by completely unnoticed.
Chen Xuedao looked at Chai Gui and asked in a heavy voice, "What else did Daoist Master Xuan Yu say?"
Chai Gui shook his head. "Escort Leader Chen, it sounded so absurd that I didn't believe it either, so I pressed Daoist Master Xuan Yu for details. But... the Daoist Master was extremely secretive and refused to reveal a single word."
He paused, then added rather hesitantly, "Daoist Master Xuan Yu also asked me to pass along a warning—that it's best if we don't go to Divine Sword Manor, and that we should abandon this escort mission."
Chen Xuedao frowned immediately.
"Hmph!" Zhuo Peiran sneered. "That old fart refuses to say anything, yet tells us to abandon the job?"
His tone was dripping with dissatisfaction.
Chen Xuedao gave no opinion. Instead, he turned his head and glanced at his adopted son, Lin Ci.
Does Foster Father want me to check Chai Gui's physiognomy to make sure he isn't a Dream Master in disguise? Understanding instantly, Zhang Yuanqing opened his Star Eyes to examine Chai Gui.
Illusionists possessed the ability to assume countless forms, something even a Scout's Insight might fail to detect, but Star Physiognomy could see through it.
Appearance could shift endlessly, but the Fate Palace could never change.
Zhang Yuanqing had already inspected the faces of all the escorts yesterday, so he remembered Chai Gui's Fate Palace.
—When he had examined their faces yesterday, he hadn't seen any sign of fatal calamity on Yang Shuo or Wang Pingle, which was why he had been so shocked this morning.
The Fate Palace hasn't changed. It really is Chai Gui... Zhang Yuanqing gave a subtle nod.
Receiving the signal from his adopted son, Chen Xuedao laid his doubts to rest, but his brow furrowed even deeper.
He looked around at his children and asked in a low voice, "What do you all think?"
Zhao Youcai: "Naturally, we go to Divine Sword Manor to find out what's going on."
Chen Wei: "Exactly! No matter what evil heretics are behind it, I'll burn them all to cinders!"
Zhuo Peiran: "The reputation of the Yellow Banner Escort Agency cannot be tarnished."
Chen Xuedao sighed softly and looked at his youngest adopted son, Lin Ci:
"Ci'er, what do you think?"
Assuming the intelligence is true, the fact that the massacre of Divine Sword Manor hasn't leaked in three years makes it extremely bizarre. The plot's complexity just spiked.
Are Chen Xuedao and the others being "blinded" by the Spirit Realm, which is why they know nothing about the massacre? Based on my understanding of the Spirit Realm, this escort mission probably isn't fictional.
Rather, this incident really happened in the past. Historically, Divine Sword Manor was likely wiped out without a sound. I wonder what fate befell the Yellow Banner Escort Agency back then... Zhang Yuanqing's thoughts raced. Hearing Chen Xuedao's question, he feigned doubt and asked in return:
"Daoist Master Xuan Yu wasn't willing to disclose the details, which suggests there's more to this than meets the eye... Foster Father, can his words be trusted?"
Chen Xuedao replied, "Daoist Master Xuan Yu is an old friend of many years."
The implication was clear: he trusted the man's information.
Daoist Master Xuan Yu is a peripheral side character in this dungeon with little connection to the escort mission. There's really no reason for him to spread false information... Zhang Yuanqing grew increasingly certain that the bizarre massacre of Divine Sword Manor had truly occurred. He said:
"We're already in too deep. If we abandon the escort now, it will damage the agency's reputation on one hand, and on the other, the sinister entity inside the coffin won't be easy to deal with—it's not like we can drag it back to our agency.
"Besides, we haven't collected the rest of the silver yet. In my opinion, we should deliver the coffin to Divine Sword Manor."
For me, no matter how bizarre Divine Sword Manor is, that's a problem for later. Completing the side quest and dealing with the enemy lurking in the dark is the pressing matter at hand. Zhang Yuanqing's thinking was clear.
Chen Xuedao nodded slightly. "Reasonable."
Though they all agreed to continue the delivery, Lin Ci's reasoning was sound and his analysis crystal clear. In contrast, his other two sons and daughter only relied on reckless bravado.
Zhang Yuanqing noticed Zhuo Peiran casting an irritated glance at him.
Over the past two days of interacting with them, he had realized that Lin Ci and Zhuo Peiran did not get along well. As the eldest brother, Zhuo Peiran almost never initiated a conversation with him.
Evidently, he did not care for this seventh brother.
With this unexpected development, the mood among the escorts grew even heavier. Smiles vanished from their faces, replaced by unease and vigilance.
However, with Chen Xuedao holding down the fort, and with men used to licking blood off their blades caring little about their lives anyway, no one backed down.
After finishing their midday meal, guided by Chen Xuedao, the escorts found a small stream, brushed down the horses' muzzles, replenished their water, and hit the road again.
Heading south at full speed, in the span of just three shichen, they actually ran into two bands of bandits.
The first band was relatively small, around thirty-odd men. Zhuo Peiran led four horsemen directly into their ranks, chopping them down like vegetables and wiping them out entirely.
The bandit chief was a Swordsman at the Transcendent stage. Facing a Bewitching Demon at the Saint stage, he stood no chance whatsoever and was decapitated with a single stroke.
The second group was much larger, numbering over a hundred men, with twenty horses, more than a dozen bows, and refined iron sabers for every man. Their leader was a Water Ghost at the Saint stage.
Such military strength was enough to mount an assault on a county seat.
Although Chen Xuedao was an Earth Monster, his disposition was fiercely unyielding. He still refused to pay the toll and ordered his three adopted sons and daughter to lead ten horsemen into the charge, butchering the bandit force down to the last man.
By dusk, the weather suddenly turned overcast. Vast swaths of inky clouds billowed across the horizon, blocking out the daylight, accompanied by fierce winds.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The gale swept up dust and grass clippings from the official road, swirling them high into the sky.
The entire sky darkened, the ink-black clouds pressing down heavily overhead in an exceptionally oppressive manner.
This rain isn't coming at a good time... Zhang Yuanqing looked up at the sky, his heart sinking.
Galloping on horseback, Zhuo Peiran called out loudly, "Foster Father, it's about to rain! Looking at the sky, it's bound to pour. The waterproof burlap might not be able to protect the talismans and array on the coffin."
Chen Xuedao looked back at the black coffin. "Add another layer of oiled cloth."
Zhuo Peiran shook his head. "That can hold out for a while, but not for the whole night."
Chen Xuedao couldn't help but frown. He could manipulate the spirit of yellow earth to condense an earthen shell over the coffin's surface, but a shell infused with earth spirit power would be immensely heavy—the horses wouldn't be able to pull it.
An earthen shell without earth spirit power, on the other hand, would be washed away in moments once the heavy rain struck.
The agency's escorts consisted mostly of Earth Monsters and Scouts; they had no Water Ghosts among them.
Just then, Chen Wei pointed into the distance with delight and shouted, "Father, there's a place to stay ahead!"
Everyone looked in that direction. On the wasteland ahead stood a dilapidated mortuary with a straight, unbroken ridgepole and a small courtyard, colored in shades of grayish-black.
It stood silently beneath the gloomy sky, exuding an indescribable eeriness.
Yet for these seasoned travelers of the martial world, out in the desolate wilderness, this was the best resting place they could ask for.
Chen Xuedao's expression eased slightly, and he said, "We will lodge in the mortuary tonight to shelter from the storm."
The convoy immediately turned onto an overgrown path, their horses galloping swiftly toward the mortuary.
This mortuary had seen many years. The closed doors were riddled with woodworm holes, the characters on the plaque had peeled away and were draped in cobwebs, and moss carpeted the foundation of the courtyard walls.
It presented a scene of utter neglect and decay.
In reality, however, it hadn't been abandoned. Mortuaries along official roads served as a form of public welfare in this era, specifically meant to house travelers who died away from home.
Every so often, government runners would escort family members here to claim the bodies.
The escorts deftly untied the hemp ropes, unloaded the coffin, unhitched the cart horses, left the flatbed cart outside, and led the horses while carrying the coffin through the front doors of the mortuary.
Passing through the narrow courtyard, they pushed open the drafty latticed doors and led the horses inside.
The moment Zhang Yuanqing stepped into the mortuary, a nauseating stench of decay hit his nostrils.
Sweeping his gaze around, he saw no interior rooms. Six pillars supported the straight roof ridge, beneath which sat six or seven faded, blackened thin-wood coffins. The rotting stench emanated from these very caskets.
The escorts tied up the horses, swept the dust from the floor, and busied themselves with their respective tasks.
Zhang Yuanqing handed his horse to an escort and quietly activated his Star Eyes to examine the face of every escort.
Although yesterday's experience told him that Star Physiognomy couldn't discern the life and death of these NPCs, out of habit, he still took a look.
Still no anomalies. I can't tell whether the escorts are in danger or not. The Spirit Realm must be blinding my perception, but why would it do that?
The Dream Master lurking in the shadows will definitely strike again tonight. Dream Masters are truly troublesome; dreams and illusions are virtually impossible to guard against.
In comparison, among the evil classes, Bewitching Demons are far more agreeable. Gu Sorcerers, who love curses and poisons, are annoying too, but nowhere near as disgusting as Dream Masters...
Chen Xuedao knows our group is being targeted by a Dream Master, yet he still dares to spend the night in a mortuary. I wonder what his trump card is. Or is he just relying on his superior strength and boldness, fearing nothing?
The Dream Master didn't attack me or Chen Xuedao last night. Was it because he didn't dare disturb this Mountain God? Luckily, I have the cover of Lin Ci's persona.
Commandery Princess Yinyao has rarely been revealed publicly, and while Blood Rose hasn't faced a Level 6 enemy directly either, she's been used fairly often. That the Dream Master failed to recognize her last night means either he's had virtually no interaction with me, or the Spirit Realm meddled behind the scenes. Yeah, I don't know the Dream Master's identity, and there's no way he could know his enemy is Yuanshi Tianzun.
I only hope that Dream Master is early Level 6. That way, I still have a chance of fighting back. If he's peak Level 6, it'll be perilous—figures like that are among the strongest below the elders.
Thinking up to this point, Zhang Yuanqing felt a heavy weight in his chest. Drawing his side blade, he used the gleaming steel as a mirror to look at his own face.
That single glance made his expression change uncontrollably.
Between his brows, bloody light was churning violently!
In the omens of Star Physiognomy, a calamity of bloody light signified a life-and-death crisis. Fail to overcome it, and death was certain.
Fuck, was my disguise seen through? Does that Dream Master know I'm a Spirit Realm walker and plans to target me tonight?
Or was I just unlucky and chosen as a sacrifice?
Zhang Yuanqing's heart unavoidably accelerated, adrenaline surging as a physiological stress reaction kicked in.
Taking a deep breath, he seasonedly suppressed all his emotions, silently opening his inventory and faction warehouse. He stared at the props and materials inside, his gaze lingering for a few seconds on the ten gold bars.
Then, closing his inventory and faction warehouse, he approached Chen Xuedao and lowered his voice:
"Foster Father, a calamity of bloody light awaits me tonight."
Chen Xuedao looked at him and said slowly:
"Dealing with a Dream Master is simple. Just wake up."
Just wake up? How do I wake up? A Dream Master also has a skill called Dream Sovereign... Zhang Yuanqing fell into thought.
On the other side, Zhuo Peiran carried his saber, shoved open a coffin, and cursed, "The corpse is already rotting with maggots, yet no one's come to collect it."
He opened the coffins one by one, finally finding an empty one, and asked, "Foster Father, should I chop this coffin up for firewood?"
Chen Xuedao shook his head slightly. "Clothes for the living, coffins for the dead—both are due their proper dignity."
He glanced outside at the sky and said, "The rain won't fall for a short while yet. Youcai, take some men to gather firewood nearby."
An idea stirred in Zhang Yuanqing's mind, and he spoke up:
"Fourth Brother, I'll go with you."
Without waiting for a response, he briskly followed Zhao Youcai and rushed out of the mortuary.
Dark clouds gathered ever thicker, and the daylight faded completely into gloom. The gale howled, whistling unsettlingly as it blew through the doors and windows.
Less than a quarter of an hour after the wood-gathering party left, the torrential rain arrived.
Raindrops as big as beans drummed noisily against the roof tiles, pattering down from the eaves into strings of translucent bead curtains, which then scattered diagonally like shattered jade whenever the wild wind struck.
Standing beneath the eaves, Chen Xuedao silently watched the downpour without a word.
"Father, what are you thinking about?" Chen Wei walked over with light, brisk steps. "Don't worry! There are plenty of us in the agency. Whether it's Divine Sword Manor or Sword God Manor, just give the word, and I'll lead the brothers to flatten it!"
Chen Xuedao looked back at his daughter, his unsmiling, stern expression softening into warmth. He said:
"Don't be reckless!"
Just then, several figures holding firewood dashed into the mortuary with their heads ducked. It was Zhao Youcai and Lin Ci.
"Foster Father, we're back! The rain caught us halfway through. If we hadn't hurried back, the wood would've been completely soaked!" Zhao Youcai called out as he threw down the damp firewood. "Good thing there are plenty of us; this should be enough."
A bonfire was quickly lit. The escorts collected rainwater in an iron pot, set it over the fire, and threw in dried meat and salt to boil a steaming pot of meat broth, eating it together with steamed buns.
With full bellies, the escorts sat in silence around the bonfire.
After the disappearances of their comrades over the previous two nights, no one dared to sleep, and the atmosphere grew rather tense.
Outside the mortuary, the rain fell in sheets and the gale raged with increasing fury, rattling the dilapidated doors and windows.
Zhang Yuanqing sat cross-legged by the doorway. His carefree Third Sister leaned halfway against him, eyes drowsy, looking as if she might fall asleep at any second.
Sigh, I suddenly understand why Zhuo Peiran dislikes Lin Ci. Even the dullest person would sense the intimacy between Chen Wei and Lin Ci... Zhang Yuanqing muttered inwardly.
As for whether Zhuo Peiran had realized he was wearing a bright green cuckold's hat, Zhang Yuanqing had no idea.
After all, Zhuo Peiran was a Bewitching Demon with some cunning and depth, not an impulsive Fire Specialist.
Suddenly, a violent gust swept in. The mortuary's latticed doors slammed open with a bang, ushering in misty rain and howling wind that sent the flames of the bonfire thrashing wildly.
Already on high alert, Zhang Yuanqing whipped his head around. All he saw outside was bleak, torrential rain and heavy darkness; apart from that, there was nothing unusual.
Scared the hell out of me... Zhang Yuanqing muttered to himself, getting up to shut the latticed doors.
The moment he secured the doors and turned around, he froze.
The bonfire crackled. The escorts sitting around the flames all had their heads drooping and eyes closed, having fallen into a deep slumber at some unknown point. Among them were the four Saints, including Chen Xuedao and Zhuo Peiran.
Were they all dragged into a dream?
Zhang Yuanqing's pupils shrank violently.
At that very moment, from the pitch-black corner of the mortuary, the sound of fingernails clawing against the lid came from that black coffin once again.
Scritch, scratch...
Immediately following, the lid slowly slid open, and a livid, ghastly hand covered in corpse spots reached out, gripping the rim of the coffin.
Chapter 471